


Only Until Morning

by J_D_McCormick



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Baby aquisition, Family Shenanigans, Gen, and a temporary baby, dad Bruce, dick and damian bicker like the brothers they are, of the mildly exasperated but fond kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 05:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_D_McCormick/pseuds/J_D_McCormick
Summary: Bruce is sure that when the Batmobile rolls to a stop and opens up, Alfred was not expecting to hear the squalling of an infant from within, if the expression on the butler-come-father-figure’s face is anything to go by.“Sir?” Is the only question he ventures.“Her mother attempted to throw her off a rooftop, and then killed herself.” Bruce answers, voice low and steady so as not to betray any emotion. “It’s too late to take her to an orphanage now. We’ll look after her until morning.”





	Only Until Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by that one tiny scene in Justice League Dark where Bruce saves a baby.
> 
> Honestly this was just so that I could make fun of Bruce's habit of taking in vaguely tragic children he finds on the streets and making them Robin. Being nearly killed by your mother who thinks you're the devil, and then becoming an orphan after she kills herself totally classifies you as potential Robin material, right?
> 
> Anyway, I decided to indulge myself with papa Bruce, Dick being a snarky goofball, and Damian being Confused and Awed by babies. Basically just a big excuse for some batfam fun. Hope you enjoy!

Bruce is sure that when the Batmobile rolls to a stop and opens up, Alfred was not expecting to hear the squalling of an infant from within, if the expression on the butler-come-father-figure’s face is anything to go by.

“Sir?” Is the only question he ventures.

“Her mother attempted to throw her off a rooftop, and then killed herself.” Bruce answers, voice low and steady so as not to betray any emotion. “It’s too late to take her to an orphanage now. We’ll look after her until morning.”

“Of course, Master Bruce.” Alfred nods. “Shall I take her?”

“No. But you could warm some milk – I think she’s hungry.” Bruce hands over some baby formula and a bottle. Before Alfred can question him, he answers. “I went to the mother’s home to get what was necessary to care for her.”

“Quite right.” Alfred nods. He takes the supplies and makes his way out of the cave. Bruce gets the feeling Alfred might want to say more on the matter, but if that is the case then he’s sure he’ll hear it soon enough.

He settles the baby in a makeshift nest made from his bundled-up cape as he changes out of his suit and into more comfortable clothes. She continues to cry, even as he scoops her up again and takes her up to the manor proper. He bounces her in his arms, a little at a loss of what to do to comfort an infant.

“Holy shit you really _do_ have a baby.”

Bruce frowns a little as Dick makes his way through a doorway, staring at him and the bundle he’s holding. His eldest son shrugs a little as he pads over.

“I just got back from patrol a few minutes ago, and I walked past Alfie with baby formula.” Dick says.

“Did you come across any unusual cases while you were on patrol?” Bruce asks as Dick peers at the baby and reaches out to stroke her cheek with the back of a delicate finger.

“Yeah, I saw some guy suddenly turn violent for seemingly no reason. Got him pinned before he could do too much damage. He was yelling something about monsters.” Dick tells him, before starting to make little cooing noises at the infant. Bruce hums. He’s beginning to suspect a pattern – he’s already gotten a warning from some other League members about strange cases like these.

“She’s cute and all, but I think she’s a little young to make Robin. Besides, Damian would be pissed if you tried.” Dick says. Bruce narrows his eyes at him.

“She’s only here until morning.”

“You sure you can resist adopting her until then?” Dick asks with a grin.

“Dick.” Bruce scolds, though it’s a line of teasing he’s used to from his oldest. Dick only laughs.

“What is that ungodly screeching? It is late, and I resent being woken so rudely.” Comes Damian’s voice, and both men look up to see the preteen padding down the manor stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Bruce hears Dick snicker a little as the boy stops dead and stares for a long moment before finally saying “Is that an _infant_?”

“Her mother died tonight. She’s staying here until the orphanage opens in the morning.” Bruce explains, again.

“Could you not have left her on the doorstep? I’m certain she would have woken someone to retrieve her in no time.” Damian grumbles as he makes his way the rest of the way down the stairs. Although his brows are still furrowed, Bruce can see curiosity in his eyes as he peers critically at the wriggling bundle of blankets.

“It’s too cold to leave her outside.” Bruce tells him. “Besides, I don’t trust Gotham enough to consider it, do you?”

“I suppose you have a point.” Damian nods. He peels back the blankets a little and stands on tip-toe to get a better look at the baby. “She is very small.”

“You’re very small, squirt.” Dick teases, ruffling Damian’s hair. The younger boy turns with a frown and a loud protest, and Bruce sighs with exasperated fondness as his sons start bickering. Thankfully, Alfred emerges with the baby bottle in hand.

“The bottle is ready for the young lady, sir.” He says. “I would advise you move through to the sitting room, lest your arms tire.”

“Thank you, Alfred.” Bruce nods, brushing past his sons to follow Alfred into the sitting room and sit down on one of the plush sofas. For a moment he’s a little unsure on how to juggle the baby and the bottle together, but Alfred helps him gently rearrange the little girl snugly into the crook of one arm, resting on the armrest.

“What would I do without you, Alfred.” He chuckles, taking the bottle and offering the nipple to the baby. She finally quiets as she accepts it and starts to suckle.

“I’m rather afraid you would perish, Master Bruce.” Alfred says, though there’s a spark of humour in his eyes. He smiles a little as they both gaze down at the little girl. “It has been quite some time since there has been a baby in the manor. It reminds me of when your mother and father brought you home.”

“That certainly is a long time ago.” Bruce smiles. There is a small ache in his chest at the thought of his parents, as there always is, but he pays it no attention for now. Damian and Dick seem to have given up their fight, as Damian comes to lean over the arm of the sofa and peer down at the baby again, Dick following behind him.

“Are all infants so small?” Damian asks. The little girl blinks curiously up at him as she eats, eyes wide and blue.

“At this age, yes. In fact, I believe Master Bruce was a tad smaller, when he was first born.” Alfred answers him. Damian looks up at him incredulously.

“Father? That’s absurd.” He says dismissively. “Surely he could not have been that small.”

“It is entirely true, Master Damian.” Alfred chuckles. “I held him in my own arms.”

Damian narrows his eyes at the baby, as if trying to imagine a tiny baby Bruce of the same size. Dick chuckles, patting the younger boy’s shoulders and leaning over.

“She really is cute.” He sighs. “Look how soft her cheeks are. And her tiny hands! How come you never got me a baby brother, Bruce?”

“You have Damian, don’t you?” Bruce says. Damian scowls at him. “I have no idea how to look after babies, Dick. I barely managed with you and you were already nine, I don’t know if I could handle a kid any younger. Besides, I certainly wouldn’t have had the time.”

“Infants are a twenty-four-hour responsibility. Between running Wayne Enterprises and his Batman crusade, I doubt Master Bruce would have had a chance to care for the child.” Alfred nods, casting a small meaningful look Bruce's way. Bruce wonders if he should be concerned that Alfred also seems to think he's at risk of adopting the kid out of hand.

“That is what he has you for, is it not, Pennyworth?” Damian asks. Alfred narrows his eyes.

“It most certainly is not, Master Damian.” He says firmly. Bruce considers scolding the boy, but the grin on Damian’s face shows that he’s making his own attempt at joking with the butler, and the way Alfred’s expression doesn’t actually venture into harshness suggests that he knows it. The baby girl finishes the bottle and pushes it away from her, gurgling and wriggling around. Bruce sets the bottle on the table.

“Adorable.” Dick reiterates.

“You’ll need to burp her, Master Bruce.” Alfred says. When Bruce looks up at him, blinking uncertainly, he sighs. “Or, I could do so for you.”

“Thanks, Al.” Bruce says, gently handing the child over. She squeals and wriggles a little, but settles easily enough against Alfred’s shoulder as he bobs about and pats her back. Damian snickers at him.

“ _It most certainly is not, Master Damian_.” He mocks under his breath.

“Damian.” This time Bruce does scold him, giving him a stern look that Damian only shrugs off.

“Can I hold her, Alfie?” Dick asks after a moment. Alfred gives her over to him, and Dick immediately settles to bouncing her and cooing at her, a huge smile on his face. Bruce can’t help but think that Dick looks good with the baby in his arms – he holds her like it comes naturally to him. Dick has always been soft for children, always brotherly to the others that Bruce took in. He’s got a caring nature and a paternal streak a mile wide. He’ll make a good father, someday, Bruce is sure of it.

Though, that makes him think of Dick and Koriand’r, and how it’s very much possible that Dick _could_ be a father any time in the near future, and that pokes at Bruce’s own paternal streak and stirs something in his gut that makes him leave that line of thought for a time.

The little girl settles and quiets in Dick’s arms, making soft but certainly content noises and bringing her thumb to her mouth. Dick smiles and goes to gently place her back into Bruce’s arms.

“I think she’s going to knock out soon.” He murmurs. Bruce hums agreement and tucks the blankets a little closer around the baby.

“I reckon that means everyone else should head off to bed as well. You still have school in the morning, Damian.” Bruce says as he carefully stands. Damian groans.

“It is her fault I am awake in the first place.” He mutters.

“Come on, babybat, lets get you back to your cave.” Dick says, grinning, as he starts to steer Damian back upstairs.

“You are not half as funny as you think you are, Grayson.”

Bruce sighs a little as the two make their way to their rooms, bickering again. Alfred stands by his side, smiling a little.

“I trust you can care for her from here, Master Bruce?” He asks. Bruce smiles.

“Yeah, I think I’m good Al. Thank you.” He says sincerely.

“In that case, I shall retire for the night. Goodnight, sir.”

“Goodnight Al.”

Bruce watches Alfred head for his quarters, before finally making his way towards his own, the baby in his arms now fast asleep and hopefully set to stay that way the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely nothing too serious, but a fun little playground for character exploration. Hope you enjoyed, feedback is as always welcome! Thank you for reading.


End file.
